St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-07-16

usually respect the efforts Of women toward
peace, because they are not found among
the fighters. But it required more courage
on the part Of many woman to stay
at home and battle for life for herself
and her little ones than to march to
martial music and flying colors to
reason why women should work for peace
the mother instinct; the natural spirit of
conservation-and they usually do except
when impelled by principle, and then they
are the most determined of foes. 1t is a
blessed thing that the instincts of women are
for peace, for peace is the basis of prosperity !;
and that they are not inconsistent with
patriotic impulse and aspiration is evident
from the work of Mrs. Julia Ward Howe,
who founded the Peace Society in this
country, established Mother Peace Day."
to be kept annually in June yet wrote the
battle hymn of the republic, which has
been the inspiration of many patriotic
soul. That women have always had this
wise leaning toward peace is evident also,
for century before Christ, as Mr.. James
Freeman Clarke reminds us in his preface to
the Life and Times of Jesus" Alexandra,
who succeeded her husband, Jauneus, as
monarch of Judea proved wise and "ener-
| getic" Queen, according to Josephus, and
during whose reign 1.-The whole land was at
rest" This tribute to her energy shows she
was possessed of fighting qualities, and that
she conquered the peace she maintained.
There are different kinds of belligerents-
those who like to fight for fighting's sake,
those who work to make others fight and
those who fight to make peace permanent and
satisfactory. One can always apply test
which will tell the kind Of metal of which a
man or woman is made, what they are work
ing or fighting for, and whether it is for an
object or as business out Of which they
make living.
Leaving Boston, the gray and the blue still
fitting about to the sound of music inspir-
ing, but no longer martial, | arrived in New
| York only to find an echo of the jubilee cele-
bration of the tifseth year of the reign in
England of Queen Victoria in the streets
of New York. There was no discredit, no
want of loyalty to the republic IN this cele-
bration ; it was tribute to the woman, to a
woman who for fifty years, since she was a
girl of seventeen, has borne the weight, the
burden, the torture, the isolation, Of a
crown; fulfilling during that time every
obligation of wife, mother, and friend, bear
ing unmerited obloquy and abuse, and hav-
ing no chance for retort or explanation. The
| tardy justice, the universal respect which
come to her at last, are wrung from slow
recognition Of her virtues, and the admirable
spectacle of her large family, each one
endeavoring faithfully to fulfill the duties of
trying and responsible positions. Such a
sovereign and such family have been rare in
the history of royalties. They were born to
their place. We should despise them if they
did not make an effort to retain it. They live
in an atmosphere where 1t is difficult to see
things as they are or judge of events as they
transpire and influence the majority Of the
world about them. Yet one cannot help the
conviction that they simply try to do their
duty and are ready for emergencies. even the
loss of their dignities, which are so much
more apparent than real. It is useful for
any one to read the revelations of the royal
life of England for the past half century as
delineated in the Princess Alice Letters"
edited by the Princess Christian, and Theo-
dore Martins life of the Prince Consort.
The former shows quite unconsciously
how fully the straits and hardships,
the sacrifices and efforts, the hopes and anx-
ieties Of the common lot are shared by those
who are popularity supposed to be exempt
from all such cares, and, with grievous stress,
other and more public troubles come to add
to the burden. Princess Alice, like the
Princess Royal, in Germany identified her
self at once with the people among whom
her lot was cast. Both took with them the
modern spirit of activity and interest in
social and public affairs, and both at once
took the lead in special philanthropies and
educational enterprises which could only be
begun and carried on under such fostering
and influential care. Both sisters called to
their aid the wisest women to assist in carry
ing out their plans, and Miss Louise Buch-
ner, the sister of the famous Dr.. Buchner,
scholar and republican, still occupies the
position of supreme head of the admirable
institution at Darmstadt which owes its ex-
istence to the Princess Alice, of England.
In the life of the Prince Consort there are
numerous incidental instances of the wisdom
displayed by the Queen in averting calami-
ties which must have been the result of
party speech or injudicious action; and these
cases, which show how closely she watched
and quietly influenced public affairs, dispose
efectually Of the common assertion that she
is nothing but "igure-head." Doubtless
this is so TO great extent. But any one
who has ever been fgure-head will know
how to appreciate some of its hardships-
the always being represented by mouth
piece, the being made to stand for what is
despicable and utterly abhorrent, the feel
ing of living upon a powder magazine which
may explode at any time, the necessity for
preserving cool, calm and dignifed de-
meanor under exasperating circumstances,
and, hardest Of ALL wearing the semblance of
greatness, yet being the servant of every
body, at every ones beck and call, and made
responsible for disasters you did not know
had taken place, for conditions you did not
know existed. But Queen Victoria must
have felt thankfulness and satisfaction in
the thought that there is so little left of the
bitterness which assailed her when she began
her reign fifty years ago. Then the Chart
lists were at the height of their power, and
even the poor little Queen was daily posted
IN big letters as another "royal pauper,"
and several times burnt in efigy. We don't
Nn l-L